Alignment
by KogasMySexyBeast
Summary: Some things are fated to be, but that doesn't mean the path to them is an easy road. Will the walk be worth the struggle? Or is Lucy in over her head? DanteXOC possible LyleXOC Please Review! Chapter 5 is now up! Rated T for my paranoia
1. Level 1 First Impressions

Hello everyone! Was randomly watching tv when I came across this show Level Up. Now how could I not write a story about video game nerds? :D  
Disclaimer: I do not own Level Up or any of it's characters. Some teacher's names have been provided by Adelene Abnormal as they are not mentioned in the show; thanks again for letting me borrow them!

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Alignment: Level One- First Encounter

"Lucy! LUCY! You just missed your bus!" Lucy Evens shot up, her eyes wide. She pawed at her bedside table for her glasses. A low rumble passed the house outside as her ride to school pulled away.

"I what?" She growled loudly, trying to untangle herself from her comforter. She managed to pull free but lost her balance in the process and tumbled off her bed into a pile of dirty clothes.

"What kind of wake up call is that dad?" Lucy grumbled, smelling then tossing her dirty socks aside. She located a clean pair though they didn't match and slipped them on.

_'I guess it's a good thing I slept in my jeans...'_ she thought, cramming her foot into her grungy black hightops. She snatched her bag off her desk and bolted down the stairs. Her little brother flattened himself against the wall to avoid being trampled.

"Better run Lucy!" he snickered. She growled in response, dodging her cat Mika and flinging open the front door. Her dad peeked over the couch.

"Don't forget to-" Lucy slammed the door behind her, making the windows rattle.

"Shut the door..." Mr. Evens finished lamely.

"Damn girl," he sighed to himself.

Lucy checked her phone then cursed. She flipped it shut and stuck it back into her pocket, darting around the corner, her bag beating against her thin frame.

_'I'm going to make it...'_ she thought; the school bus she had missed before was just around the corner, picking up the last load of kids before heading to the high school. She did a power slide around the corner and took off again, her heels kicking up gravel. The other kids watched her, exchanging glances. She ignored them and boarded the bus, pushing her black square cut frames back up her nose.

_'Made it...'_ She was a little sweaty and breathless but it was better than trying to make it all the way to school on foot. She sat back in her seat, blowing a strand of hair out of her face.

_'Today's starting to look up.'_

* * *

The skateboard zoomed up the sidewalk, it's rider whooping loudly. Dante Ontero rode happily along, dodging around pedestrians with ease, his red and black checkered shirt billowing behind him. Underneath that, he wore a black graphic tee with the word "slacker" in bold white lettering and dark purple pants which from the looks of it, had been worn for a few days.

He cut in between a young couple and headed for the school, the man shouting after him. Dante paid no mind as he approached Daventry High, spotting Wyatt sitting alone at the far table they normally occupied.

"Wyatt my man!" Dante called, heading toward the courtyard. He grinded to a stop next to Wyatt who flinched as Dante kicked his board up into his hand.

"Hey Dante, what's up?" Wyatt asked, flipping though some papers. Dante slapped his board onto the table, making Wyatt flinch a second time and unstrapped his helmet from his head, shaking his hair a little to get it out of his face.

"Whatcha got there?" Dante asked, swiping one of the papers from Wyatt and looking at it sideways.

"They're notes for today's history test," Wyatt explained, plucking the paper from Dante's hands. Dante looked confused.

"Test? We don't have a test," Dante scoffed, waving to Lyle who was heading to join them.

"If you're talking about a test in history, you have one." Lyle said, taking a seat in a nearby chair. Dante on the other hand, sat on the table and pulled a sandwich from his pocket. Lyle scrunched up his nose in disgust as Dante took a bite.

"How long have you had that?" He asked, watching Dante chew. Dante shook his head.

"Not really sure; we had baloney sandwiches... Friday?" Wyatt looked a little pale, turning his head out of sight of Dante eating.

"Thursday; and it was turkey," he said, gagging a little. Dante stopped chewing and looked down at the sandwich. He smelled it, looking thoughtful for a moment.

"Only four days old," Dante said, taking another bite.

"Dude, that's foul..." Lyle said, sighing.

"So are we still on for a Neverfail meeting tonight?" Wyatt said, changing the subject. Dante nodded enthusiastically, bits of lettuce and bread falling everywhere. Wyatt slid his history notes away from the spray of food.

"I'm in; football practice gets out an hour early today!" Lyle said happily, high-fiving Dante.

"Awesome! Today's going to be sweet!" Wyatt said, tucking his notes into his backpack. The three boys heading inside to their lockers, knocking shoulders and laughing.

* * *

Lucy strolled up the hall of Daventry High, her hazel eyes focused on her locker and the girl standing beside it. A smile formed on her face. The blonde turned and smiled back at her, brushing her perfect curls out of her face. Something about the motion reminded Lucy she hadn't brushed her hair.

"What's up Juliet?" she called, running her fingers through her short cropped and disheveled burgundy hair. Juliet watched her inquisitively, her blue eyes flashing.

"Slept in again?" Juliet asked, an amused look on her face. Lucy huffed a little, still clawing at her hair. Juliet walked around her friend, poking at her here and there.

"You know Luce, short hair is supposed to be low maintenance but you somehow managed to prove that wrong." Juliet pulled out a hairbrush from her purse. Lucy gave her a death glare.

"Don't even think about it..." She warned. Juliet's hands dropped to her hips.

"You really should try harder to keep up your appearance..." Juliet said, gesturing to her own clothes. A light blue and pink blouse with short ruffled sleeves and tan capris. She was even wearing blue and pink flats to match her shirt and a small bronze chain necklace.

Lucy rolled her eyes, unimpressed. Juliet sighed a little. Lucy frowned at the sound and looked down at her clothes; she had to admit that maybe her friend was right.

Lucy's green and black shirt had been worn for going on three days and though it wasn't laundry fresh, it had gone unstained so far. Her jeans were torn and frayed at the bottom, the once blue color faded almost to white though you couldn't tell through the maze of ink and sharpie doodles she had slowly drawn up both pant legs in Mr. Spenader's history class.

Not to mention the condition of her hair; her wavy reddish brown locks were normally shoulder length and streaked with blonde chunks but two months and no regular upkeep made it look like something her cat spit up.

"I know you're not looking right now but if you ever want a guy to find you..." Lucy had turned away to fiddle with her combo lock, giving up on her hair. She was sick of Juliet trying to make her over so she could get a man.

"Come on Juliet, I know I'm not the fanciest girl at Daventry High but I like the way I look," Lucy stated plainly, her focus on the stubborn lock before her. Juliet's eyes narrowed and she leaped at Lucy. She pinned Lucy against the locker and forced the brush through Lucy's snarled copper hair.

"Hey! Let me go!" Lucy struggled against Juliet's iron grip. Even though Lucy was stronger, Juliet was determined to untangle the bird's nest on Lucy's head.

* * *

"I really don't understand why you keep trying for a girl like Clean Cut Maggie," Lyle told Dante after he struck out again. Dante shrugged, still grinning despite being shot down.

"Maybe it's a lack of common sense and self control..." Wyatt muttered. Dante frowned momentarily then turned back to Lyle.

"I think you should go for a girl like... like..." Lyle struggled to find someone who might possibly be able to date Dante. His eyes scanned the crowds, stopping on a pair of girls.

"Like that one," he said smiling smugly. Dante and Wyatt looked where Lyle pointed.

"Uhh... which one? The auburn haired one pinned to the lockers or the blonde wielding the hair brush?" Wyatt asked sarcastically. Dante watched them, sending a quick glare at Wyatt.

"Hey, I know that girl..." Wyatt said, ignoring Dante.

"Uh, which one?" Lyle asked, leaning against the lockers behind him.

"That blonde, it's Julia... Juliet Wells. She's the only student who matched my math grade," he said proudly. Dante and Lyle exchanged looks then returned their attention to the wrestling girls. There was a crowd starting to form around them and it was getting harder to see.

Dante looked back and forth between the two girls then at Lyle.

"So which one again?" he asked. Lyle looked momentarily surprised then smiled his charming smile.

"The short one, with glasses and brown hair," he told Dante, glancing at the clock.

"Oh geez, we've got to get going, class is going to start soon. I'll see you guys at lunch!" Lyle called down the hall. Wyatt waved then turned to Dante, who seemed to be lost in thought.

"Come on dude, we got to get to science; Mr. Patrick's going to kill you if you're late again." Dante nodded, his eyes still on the brunette, wondering why Lyle pointed to her. He'd seen her around but she never really caught his eye.

* * *

"Just give me... one second... there!" Satisfied, Juliet released her friend and pulled out a compact.

"Give it a look," she encouraged, wiggling the mirror. Lucy fixed her glasses then grabbed the compact, opening it and taking a peek. Her hair was finally laying flat, and even though the highlights were growing out, they accentuated her face well.

"Nice brush, I still need a haircut though," she said, impressed. Juliet was about to say something when the two minute warning bell went off. Lucy crammed the compact back in Juliet's hand and waved her away from the locker.

"You know you could always ask Dave the janitor to open that thing..." Lucy shook her head, taking a few steps back and raised her leg, giving the locker a swift kick.

The locker clanged open, door rattling on it's hinges. Lucy quickly grabbed her school supplies and shut the door.

"Oh vile," Juliet muttered. Lucy glanced at her inquisitively.

"That Dante kid's staring at you." Lucy looked around, spying him by his friends. There eyes locked and a weird feeling washed over her. Dante's eye's widened and they both looked away. Juliet eyed Lucy curiously.

"Come on, we got to get to science," Juliet said, pulling Lucy along to class. Lucy was lost in thought and let her friend drag her along, passing Wyatt in the classroom without a second glance.

_'That was really strange... probably nothing... I didn't really eat anything today so maybe that's it,'_ she decided, taking her seat in the corner by the window. Juliet sat in front of her, hands clasped in wait of the teacher's instructions. Lucy absentmindedly scanned the room, a thought coming to her mind.

_'Wait... isn't...'_ The door burst open and Dante came in just as the bell rang, a wide grin on his face. Lucy's heart dropped into her stomach.

_'...Dante's in this class...'_

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Thank you all for reading and please comment and review; I want to hear what you think!


	2. Level 2 Your Move

So here's chapter two ya'll! Again, I'd like to state that I'm borrowing the unnamed teachers' names from Adelene Abnormal. If you haven't read her fanfic, (which you probably have since it was one of the first ones posted) Read it cause it's freakin' awesome! :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Level Up or any of it's characters. Some teacher's names have been provided by Adelene Abnormal as they are not mentioned in the show; thanks again for letting me borrow them!

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Alignment: Level Two- Your Move

"Made it!" Dante sang, taking his seat next to Wyatt. He leaned back in his seat, arms behind his head, ignoring the stern look Mr. Patrick was giving him.

_'How'd I forget Dante was in science with us?'_ Lucy groaned inwardly, laying her chin on her desk.

_'Whatever; I never really talked to him anyway... "_ she dismissed the notion momentarily, but couldn't help going back to it.

"_I wonder why he was staring at me...'_ Lucy thought, her eyes slowly returning to Dante. He was sitting at an angle from her so there was no worry he would notice unless he looked behind him.

Wyatt was leaning over to Dante, his lips moving but his voice was too quiet for Lucy to hear. Wyatt's eyes suddenly met Lucy's and he stopped talking, nudging Dante. The color drained from Lucy's face as Dante turned toward her and she quickly began rummaging through her bag to avoid looking at him any longer.

_'Dammit! That was close...'_ Lucy waited for a minute or two then chanced it, stealing a glance. She breathed a sigh of relief as Dante had turned back to Wyatt, noting a tone of confusion in his otherwise indistinguishable voice.

"What was that all about?" Juliet asked, making Lucy jump. Lucy eased foreword, her eyes on Mr. Patrick who was busy digging through his folders in search of a graded test.

"What was what about?" Lucy asked innocently. Juliet swiveled in her seat to glare at her.

"What do you think? Dante and what's-his-name over there were looking at you again." Lucy squirmed in her seat; she really didn't want to explain to Juliet why the boys were staring at her, especially since she had started it this time. Juliet let out an exasperated sigh.

"You really need to reevaluate your standards Luce; there's better men out there... like Lyle for example..." she gushed, flapping her hands in excitement. Lucy gagged dramatically.

"Really Jules, you think you would have gotten over him by now... it's been... two years?" Juliet had a long standing crush on Lyle Hugginson, though she never had worked up the guts to ask him out and had instead spent her time grooming herself and to a lesser degree, Lucy, to try to impress all the boys in hopes he might one day notice her.

"You're a smart, kind, and bubbly girl; just his type," Lucy sneered, mussing Juliet's hair playfully. Juliet huffed, facing front again. Lucy let out an unladylike snort, crossing her arms.

_'In three... two... one...'_ Juliet whipped around, blue eyes wide and sparkling, her blond curls bouncing at her motion.

"Oh you really think I'm his type?" Juliet whispered excitedly. Lucy nodded her head, trying not to laugh.

_'Oh Jules... only a dumb blonde for Lyle...'_

"Okay class," Mr. Patrick said, clearing his throat. Juliet turned her attention to the front where the teacher was passing back test sheets.

"Now that I've located your tests, we can go over them." Lucy zoned out as Mr. Patrick droned on about the anatomy of a frog. She was vaguely aware of her test appearing on her desk, a large red B plus scrawled in red ink in the top corner.

_'Man... this is boring... I think I'm going to fall asleep...'_ Lucy felt her eyelids becoming heavy. She dozed a good portion of the class away, her head propped up on her hand.

"Any questions?" Mr. Patrick asked loudly, snapping Lucy back to reality. Her eyes wandered to the clock and she was shocked to discover class was almost over. Dante raised his hand.

"Can we go home now?" he asked before Mr. Patrick called on him, sending the class into a fit of quiet giggling. Mr. Patrick was not amused.

"Dante, do I need to send you to Principal Storms' office again?" Dante shrugged then replied.

"Nah, I'm sure old Stormy had enough to worry about." The class roared with laughter. Mr. Patrick's face started turning purple. He opened his mouth to respond but the bell rang for the end of class.

"Well, gotta go! Don't want to be late!" Dante said with a grin, his braces flashing in the fluorescent lights. He then darted out of the room before Mr. Patrick could do anything. Wyatt followed him out, an agitated look on his face.

"What a weirdo..." Juliet muttered, brushing off her blouse. Lucy said nothing to this, slinging her bag over her shoulder and looking after Dante.

"Well, off to English then." Lucy said goodbye to Juliet and made her way up the hall, a troubled look on her face.

_'I'm less sure this day's going to be normal...' _Lucy thought, weaving through the herds of students with some difficulty. She needed to make a pit stop at her locker for her reading book. Unbeknownst to her, Dante was on the other side of the hall, digging for a snack. Lyle and Wyatt stood beside him, looking impatient.

"Come on Dante! We've got to get to class," Lyle urged. Dante held up a finger, motioning for him to wait.

"I know there's a bag of chips in here somewhere!"

"Stupid faulty waste of metal!" Lucy kicked her locker, growling in frustration. She shot a glance at the clock across the hall; hands turning the combo dial wildly.

_'I don't have time-'_ Lucy's train of thought derailed as her eyes fell upon none other than Dante. She watched him, forgetting her locker. He was rummaging for something, tossing various items onto the floor behind him. Caught up in the scene, she was unaware of Weird Carl coming up beside her.

Carl hit the top and bottom vents of her locker simultaneously, making the door pop open. Lucy yelped at the sound.

"Ohh! Weird Carl! You scared me... uhh... thanks..." Lucy stammered, grabbing the now open locker door to brace herself, her hand willing her heart to slow down.

"That's okay. It's okay to be scared sometimes," he said, walking away.

"Umm... thanks..." Lucy looked back over at Dante and the slowly growing pile of junk on the floor. She couldn't help but smile when he turned around, an enthusiastic look on his face, the object he was so desperately searching for in his hand.

_'What am I doing?'_ Lucy wondered, her smile fading. She sighed and turned back to her locker, feeling strange.

* * *

"I found them!" Dante held the chips up in triumph. Wyatt shook his head in anger. He was about to say something when out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Lucy staring in their direction. He turned to look just as she had looked away.

"Hmm... strange..." he muttered, watching her pull a book out and shut the locker door, walking down the hall and out of his line of sight.

_'First science, now randomly in the hallway...'_ Wyatt left the other two so he could think on the way to class without any interruptions. Lyle helped Dante shovel everything back into his locker, then sprinted off to class so they wouldn't be late.

* * *

"Dude! I'm telling you, she was checking you out!" Wyatt said, exasperated. It was mid afternoon and the two of them were sitting at the lunch table, waiting for Lyle. Dante scoffed in a humorous manner, thinking Wyatt was joking.

"Nah, there's no way." Wyatt groaned, watching Dante take a bite of his cafeteria goulash.

"It's not like she was checking me out..." he grumbled sadly, taking a drink of his milk. Dante had to admit Wyatt had a point there. He slapped Wyatt on the back, making him choke.

"It's okay buddy, you just got no game," Dante said ironically, raising an eyebrow at him. Wyatt closed his eyes, a pained look on his face.

* * *

"Lucy! There you are," Juliet said cheerfully, taking a seat next to her friend. Lucy inclined her head in greeting, her mouth occupied with her apple.

"You don't normally sit outside to eat unless something's bugging you; what's up?" Lucy swallowed hard, her eyes shifted nervously.

"Just stuff at home; dad's taking to wearing nothing but his robe and boxers again," she said grimacing. While this was unfortunately true, the real reason she was eating on the patio was to spy on Dante and his friends; she still wanted to know why he had looked at her and was determined to find out.

_'I don't know why it bugs me so much but it does...' _Lucy frowned. Juliet shuttered, buying into Lucy's fake explanation.

"Eew! That's almost as gross as Dante... just look at him!" She said with disgust. Lucy's eyes instantly found Dante at his table.

_'I need to stop acting like this... if he catches me spying, he's going to think I'm a stalker...'_ The he in question was busy shoveling food into his mouth and nodding while Wyatt talked. Lucy laughed. Then something horrible happened.

"Nah, I think he's kinda cute..." Lucy said, taking another bit of her apple. Juliet's jaw dropped and Lucy immediately regretted admitting such a thing out loud, especially to Juliet.

_'Should have thought before I spoke...'_

* * *

After catering to his cheerleader fans, Lyle walked over and joined Dante and Wyatt.

"Yeah... I don't..." Wyatt sighed heavily. Lyle gave him a puzzled look.

"You don't have what?" he asked.

"Game!" Wyatt shouted then lowered his voice.

"I don't have game." He explained to Lyle about the brunette staring at Dante. Once Wyatt was done, Lyle somehow managed to give him look of both pride and disbelief.

"That same one fro this morning? You can't be serious." He looked to Dante for answers, but he was too busy shoveling Jello into his mouth to respond properly.

"Hmpfh?" Dante mumbled then swallowed.

"Oh he is serious, see-" Dante started but was cut off.

"CUTE? YOU THINK DA-" Lucy hastily slapped a hand over Juliet's mouth, but it was too late. Juliet's outburst had attracted the attention of everyone in the courtyard, including the three boys. Everyone watched them intently. Lucy let out a small nervous chuckle, her hand still on Juliet's mouth.

"It's nothing guys... just... rehearsing for this skit we're doing," Lucy fibbed, ignoring Juliet's scathing glare.

"Just got a little too loud... sorry..." Everyone slowly returned to their own conversations, occasionally sending the girls weird looks. Once she was sure it was safe, Lucy pulled her hand away from Juliet's mouth.

"Really?" Juliet started in a hushed voice. Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Dante Ontero? What's wrong with you? Is your brain broken?"

"So what? I think he's cute; you've been obsessing over someone for two years and have never approached him!" Lucy said through clinched teeth. Juliet was taken aback but recovered quickly.

"Yes, but this is Lyle we're talking about! Dante's completely different; he wears the same clothes for days on end, is constantly in detention, and is about as smart as a brick!" Juliet's voice was slowly raising again and Lucy wiggled her hand threateningly in front of her, her face flushed.

"Keep your voice down; I haven't gone and blabbed your secrets to the whole student body!" Juliet closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, she sent Lucy a smile that made her skin crawl.

"Well, I guess it's good news that you've finally found someone," Juliet said with a sweet voice. Lucy through her hands up in the air.

"Who says I found anyone, I've never even talked to him!" Juliet's eyes shifted to something behind Lucy and her smile widened.

"Well, here's your chance." She said smoothly. Lucy didn't comprehend what she was saying until a shadow appeared over their table. She turned to look, her worst fears realized.

"Hello there," Dante said, flashing her his dental work. Lucy's heart jumped into her throat.

"Uhh..." she replied stupidly, struggling to find an escape. She could feel everyone's eyes on her again.

"Hi there," Lucy said, looking everywhere but at Dante.

_'When did he get over here?'_ She thought frantically. The passing bell rang and she shot up out of her seat, startling Dante and Juliet.

"That's the bell! Got to go to my locker!" she rambled, shoving her tray toward Juliet who gave her a dirty look.

"Take care of my trash Jules? Thank you!" Lucy turned to Dante against her better instincts.

"We can talk later, okay?" She said quickly, a violent blush spreading like wildfire across her face. Dante looked surprised but happy, watching her take off for the door.

He exchanged looks with Juliet who silently shrugged, gathered both trays, and went to put them away, leaving Dante at the empty table with a blank look on his face. Wyatt and Lyle walked up beside him, smug looks on both their faces.

"What just happened?" He asked his friends, looking from them to the door where Lucy ran inside, and back again. Lyle put a hand on Dante's shoulder, then thought better of it and removed it.

"That, my friend was an embarrassed fan," he said. Wyatt gave him a hard look. Dante sent the both of them inquisitive looks.

"What Lyle means, is that girl likes you." Wyatt explained, feeling a little jealous.

"Really?" Dante said in awe. Lyle nodded in agreement; the three of them heading inside to class.

"Yeah, really... somehow you got a girl to like you before I did," Wyatt moped.

"Awesome!" Dante exclaimed, fist pumping.

"I guess you guys were right in encouraging me to go over there. For once," he said smugly.

"Yep," Lyle agreed.

"There's no mistaking the signs of a girl liking you; awkward outbursts by her or her friends."

"That and constant goo goo eyes when they think you're not looking," Wyatt added. Dante looked excited then a weird feeling crept through his stomach.

"Now what?" He asked, his energy fading. Wyatt and Lyle looked at each other.

"Angie," they both stated.

"First, class. After that, Angie; we need a girl's opinion in all this. You're going to be a... special case." Lyle said, scrunching up his nose. The boys agreed to meet after school and locate Angie, then left for class.

_'So a girl likes me...'_ Dante mused to himself after the other two left.

_'I don't think I even know her name...'_

* * *

So the plot thickens. :3  
Please review in the comments and let me know what you think! Thank you for reading!


	3. Level 3 Mixed Messages

Here we are again with chapter three! This one was a fighter but I came out on top. ;)

Without farther ado; please enjoy this rather interesting update.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Level Up or any of it's characters. Some teacher's names have been provided by Adelene Abnormal as they are not mentioned in the show; thanks again for letting me borrow them!**

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Level Three- Mixed Messages

Lucy sped up the halls as fast as her legs could carry her; skidding into her empty history classroom. Mr. Spenader was still out on lunch and the lights were off. She flipped them on and settled into her seat; breathing heavily. The only thing racing faster than her heart was her mind.

_'Damn it all! Why did I run?'_ Lucy squeezed her eyes shut, holding her windblown hair in her hands. She had just ran away from her problems; something she normally would never do. There was something about Dante just made things... difficult.

_'Why'd he have to come over like that? Right in the middle of Juliet interrogating me about him...'_ The worst part was Lucy was unsure how she'd ever face him now. She had told him they would talk later. Lucy let out a shaky breath, trying to calm herself.

_'I can't believe I over-reacted like that... I need to talk to him; and with my luck, I'll just freeze up again...'_

Lucy let her head drop to her desk, consequently giving herself a minor headache on top of her anxiety. Mr. Spenader walked in, surprised to see the lights on. He strolled over to his desk, spying Lucy.

"Oh, hello there Miss Evens; excited for another day of learning?" he asked enthusiastically. Lucy raised her head and nodded, her eyes shifting nervously.

"Uhh, yeah..." Lucy said mildly. Mr. Spenader smiled, opening his briefcase.

"Good, I was hoping you might actually work today." Lucy rolled her eyes when he looked away. She was in no mood for school and still had two more classes to go. By now, everyone had left the cafeteria and filled the halls. Classmates started trickling in, chattering and laughing amongst themselves.

One of the first students to enter the classroom was Angie Prietto, followed closely by Wyatt. Lucy was too caught up in her own thoughts to notice the pair taking their seats. Wyatt had immediately seen Lucy and started whispering frantically to Angie.

"That's the girl; over there with the streaked hair," he said, gesturing toward Lucy. Angie raised an eyebrow. She looked at Wyatt, confused.

"But... she's... pretty." Angie sputtered.

"Unkempt maybe, but... are you sure that's her?" Angie asked, shaking her head in disbelief.

"It's her. Not sure how Dante managed to charm anyone with standards..." Wyatt assured her. Angie smirked a little, her eyes on Lucy. She had to admit that she was impressed.

"Well, if Dante's interested we defiantly have our work cut out for us then."

"I'm not really sure what Dante's thinking; from what I heard they don't even know each other," Wyatt informed. Angie turned so she was facing Wyatt, smoothing the front of her blue skirt. She sent him a serious look.

"Okay; if that's the case, we've got to introduce them first; is there anyone you know who knows her personally?" she asked. Wyatt nodded in response.

"Yes, I know one person; Juliet Wells. She's in my math class next period." Angie clapped her hands in excitement.

"Perfect! I need you to find out everything you can about our mystery girl," she said with a smile. Wyatt opened his mouth to argue thought better of it.

"Alright, I will." He wasn't exactly thrilled about talking to a girl given his nervous tendencies, but it wasn't like he was asking her out. Angie noted Wyatt's discomfort.

"Just treat it like a school project." She gestured to Lucy who at a distance, looked as though she had finally composed herself.

"Just find out what you can about her from Juliet and inform us when we meet up after school." Mr. Spenader cleared his throat, and Wyatt flashed Angie a quick thumbs up before turning his attention to the front.

"Alright class, today we're going over the civil war, now pull out your history books and turn to page 92." He looked at Lucy with sharp eyes.

"And I don't want to hear any complaining." Lucy exhaled, slinging open her bag and slapping her book onto the desk top. She lazily flipped to the page, smirking at Mr. Spenader. He sighed and continued teaching while Lucy blankly stared off into space, doodling idly on the last bit of clear space on her jeans.

_'This class is so boring...'_ She sighed inwardly, flipping her pen in her hand. It didn't take long for Lucy's mind to wander back to her promise she made to Dante.

_'Maybe it won't be that bad, I only have to talk to him, alone if I can manage it. What's the worst that could happen?'_ Lucy only hoped she could act as confident as she felt.

* * *

Class seemed to drag on endlessly and Lucy sighed with relief when the bell sounded. She quickly packed her stuff and made a beeline to her locker.

_'At least I can relax in art class...'_ After delivering a swift kick to her locker, Lucy pulled out her art project, a small six by six canvas with a half painted picture of a paper crane. She crammed it into her bag and shut her locker.

Lucy headed upstairs to her class on the second floor. She had just cleared the first flight of stairs when a loud whooping sound stopped her in her tracks.

Dante came speeding down the hall on his skateboard, heading right to where Lucy stood on the landing. His eyes widened and the smug look dropped from his face when he spied Lucy.

"Look out!" Philbert yelled from the top of the stairs, but it was too late for Lucy to get out of the way. Dante made an attempt to stop, but his board caught on the top step and sent him flying. Dante collided with Lucy and they tumbled over each other before hitting the wall. The impact knocked the wind out of the both of them but they were otherwise unharmed.

Dante and Lucy untangled themselves and sat on the floor, trying to recover. Students passed by with looks of curiosity before continuing up the stairs. Philbert had long gone for fear of getting detention again, leaving the two of them relatively alone.

_'Who would have thought I'd run into him... literally, and so soon...'_ Lucy mused, looking at the contents of her backpack, which had exploded everywhere from the crash.

"So..." Dante started after a rather long silence, his hands wandered to his fallen skateboard.

"You're okay right?" Lucy nodded, fixing her glasses. She was still too shy to look him in the eye again. She began gathering her scattered belongings and shoving them back into her bag.

"Yeah... a little banged up but that's it." Dante nodded his head, his brown eyes studying her. Lucy felt his gaze and unwillingly looked up to meet it, her stomach lurching.

_'Come on; he's only a boy...'_ She cleared her throat and willed herself to speak.

"So... about earlier. I just wanted to say- I mean, I think it would be cool if we got to know each other," Lucy rushed. Dante blinked in response.

"You're a- interesting person and I that we could be friends," she added, feeling embarrassed. Dante looked at her in surprise then grinned widely. He picked up Lucy's fallen art project and placed it in her bag for her.

"Sure, we can be friends and I am most defiantly interesting," he said happily, getting to his feet. He slung his bag over one shoulder and extended his other hand to Lucy. She stared at it for a moment before taking it, smiling in gratitude.

"Thanks," Lucy said, hitching her backpack up her shoulder as an excuse to release Dante's hand. They stared at each other, an awkward silence falling between them. The warning bell sounded, making them both jump.

"Well, I've got to get to art class; I'll see you later Dante." Lucy turned to continue up the stairs. Before she could leave, Dante swiftly put his hand on her shoulder. She turned, giving him an inquisitive look and he struggled to find an excuse for stopping her.

"Uhh... so... how about tomorrow? Are you doing anything around six?" He fumbled, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. Lucy was flabbergasted.

_'Is he asking me out?'_ She thought, her heart leaping into her throat. She paused then realized Dante was waiting her answer.

"I-I'm free tomorrow, what do you have in mind?" Dante appeared thoughtful.

"We could go eat at Baer's, maybe catch a movie or something." Lucy smiled, rummaging around in her bag for her notebook. Dante watched her scribble something on a sheet of paper.

"Sure, do you want to just meet up at the diner? If my little brother catches wind of this, he'll follow us everywhere," Lucy huffed. She tore off the top section of paper and handed it to Dante who stared at it.

"A piece of paper?" he asked, taking the scrap gingerly from her.

"It's a phone number- my phone number. So we can... text and stuff. Well I got to go to class now...so..." Lucy searched for something clever to say but found nothing.

"Text me later," She added lamely, feeling her face heat up. She muttered a quick goodbye to Dante then darted up the stairs. Dante watched her go, his eyes dropping to the slip of paper in his hands and the name scribbled at the top.

"Lucy." Dante snorted in amusement, pulling out his phone to add her as a contact.

_'Heh, if it wasn't for running into her, I wouldn't even know her name.'_ He headed downstairs to class, his eyes on his phone screen so he didn't notice the blonde girl watching him in the middle of the youth lounge.

Juliet's blue eyes followed Dante up the hall, then flicked to the staircase. She had watched the whole interaction at a distance and was surprised at the outcome.

_'Well, it looks like things are moving quickly,'_ Juliet thought, rising from her seat on the island. She headed into her Math class, a bounce in her step.

_'If I heard correctly, a certain someone has a date to prepare for! And who better to help her prepare than her best friend...'_

* * *

That's all for now! It looks like things are starting to pick up speed. I wonder how that date will go... :3

Please review the chapter and I want to thank you all for reading; the support is wonderful and really appreciated! Until next time!


	4. Level 4 Raiding the Date

And now for another exciting update! Things are really starting to pick up. :D  
**  
**I want to thank everyone who reviewed, I really love the feedback I'm getting as it tells me what needs improvement as well as if people like my writing.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Level Up or any of it's characters. Some teacher's names have been provided by Adelene Abnormal as they are not mentioned in the show; thanks again for letting me borrow them!**

* * *

Level Four- Raiding the Date

Wyatt looked up at the sound of the door opening and closing for the tenth time, hoping it was his quarry.

_'Target acquired, mentally preparing for feminine onslaught...'_ Juliet took her assigned seat, placing her shoulder bag on her desk. Wyatt watched her out of the corner of his eye; she was sitting one seat and one row over and behind him. Thankfully the desk between them was empty on account of a sick student.

_'Now I just need to figure out how to talk to her without being all... me...'_ Wyatt twiddled he thumbs impatiently. The teacher was busy talking to one of the office aides so he went for it.

"Urm... excuse me Juliet," Wyatt whispered to her, keeping his eyes on the teacher. Juliet looked up from her binder, startled.

"Yes? What is it?" Wyatt explained he was looking for information about Lucy, feeling uncomfortable.

"My friend Angie wants to help Dante with his... date," Wyatt spit out the last word. He still had a hard time believing Dante got a girl before he did.

"I see. Well I guess I can help then." Juliet smiled but it didn't reach her eyes; she was rather disappointed that Lucy was really going on a date with Dante.

_'I guess it's nice to see her finally coming out of that shell... I just wish it was for some other guy.'_ The teacher cleared her throat, calling for attention. Wyatt immediately whipped around to face forward. Juliet leaned closer to him so he could hear her.

'I'll help. Meet me after school in the library." Wyatt nodded to her, acknowledging he had heard. Juliet sat back in her seat, feeling troubled. She was thrilled at the thought of her friend's date; the person who asked her was another story.

_'I know I said I was happy for her; but I really don't like Dante. He's a little too... flamboyant...'_ Juliet sighed softly; there really wasn't too much she could do. Then it hit her. She frantically turned in her notebook for a blank page, a mischievous grin growing on her face.

_'Well, I can defiantly make this a date to remember...'_

* * *

Lucy sat up in her seat, feeling a chill go down her spine.

_'I just got a bad feeling...'_ she shivered involuntarily, pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. She drew in a breath then exhaled slowly, her hand falling to her chest to feel her heartbeat.

_'A date. I can't believe I'm going on a date...'_ Lucy spun her pencil in her hand, staring off into space. She wasn't really sure of her feelings for Dante; they had just met face to face today and things seemed to be moving a little too fast for her taste.

_'I'm not even sure that I like him in that way; I mean, yes I think he's cute I still don't know much about him...'_ A small voice in her head told her otherwise.

_'Well I must feel something if I agreed to the date. I guess I'll just have to see what Dante's really like.'_

The final bell rang as school for the day ended. Lucy trotted out to her locker and kicked it open, not even giving the lock a chance. Despite the excitement of the upcoming date and events of the day, Lucy felt the last two classes flew by.

"Hey Luce!" Juliet called, looking rather excited as she skipped toward her friend. Lucy gave her an inquisitive look.

"So I heard about your date..." Juliet said slyly. Lucy's jaw dropped.

"H-how-"

"I saw it happen." Juliet stated simply, giving Lucy a sweet smile.

"Right..." Lucy said, unimpressed. Juliet pouted.

"Well, at any rate, I've decided to help you out on your little date." Lucy's eyes widened. She slammed her locker shut and turned her full attention to Juliet, a dark look on her face.

"What do you mean you're going to help? Do you remember last time you tried to help?" Lucy said. Juliet gave her a weak smile and shrugged lightly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about-"

"Don't give me that," Lucy interrupted, giving her friend a stern look.

"I was only talking to Jace because he had the notes I missed when I was sick."

"But you never talk to football players; what was I supposed to think?" Juliet defended.

"He was my lab partner! If anything, you could have asked first!" Juliet let out a barking laugh at this.

"Ha! But you would have denied it! Just like you're doing now with Dante!" Lucy growled in frustration, her face coloring slightly.

"But I never said I liked Dante..." Lucy muttered. That strange nauseous feeling was welling up in her stomach again.

"I'm just wanting to get to know him..." Juliet smirked as Lucy's face reddened.

"Uh huh, I'm sure. Well, either way, I'm going to help you," she grinned. Lucy just gave in; there was no point trying to avoid her fate.

"Alright... I'm guessing this means a mall trip and-"

"MAKEOVER TIME!" Juliet shouted, making a freshman beside her flinch away in fright.

"Great..." Lucy muttered in exasperation. They made plans to meet up tomorrow after school as Juliet had debate and Lucy already had plans.

"Go... go play your nerd quest or whatever it's called..." Juliet said, shooing Lucy to the bus.

"It's called Co-" Lucy started.

"Yes, yes whatever." Juliet waved it away, nervously checking the time on her phone.

"I'll have my car tomorrow so we won't have to walk!" Lucy gave a thumbs up and a wave.

"I'll text you later!" Lucy called, stepping onto the bus. Once Lucy was safely on the bus, Juliet made a beeline to the library where Wyatt and Angie were waiting.

"Sorry I'm late; I had to turn in a paper," she lied.

"It's no problem; you got the goods?" Angie joked. Juliet grinned in response. She set her bag down on a nearby table and unzipped the top.

"Right here;" Juliet slapped her notebook onto the table. She jabbed a finger at the open page, it's lines completely filled with writing.

"Everything you need to know about Lucy. Likes, dislikes, favorite movies and music. Everything." Angie and Wyatt leaned over the page. What they didn't know was Juliet hadn't provided them with entirely accurate information.

_'I highly doubt the prissy, bad tempered Lucy I described in that page will make Dante hold that date.'_ Juliet thought to herself, trying to look aloof. Angie removed the page from Juliet's notebook.

"A pleasure doing business with you," she said, extending her hand for a shake. Juliet took it, guilt washing over her.

_'I feel kinda bad for doing this to Lucy, but it's for her own good.'_

* * *

Lucy settled into her bean bag chair in the corner of her room. It was late afternoon and she had finally managed to kick her brother outside.

"Nothing like a good gaming session to clear your head," she announced, slipping her paint splattered headset on. She adjusted the mike and then launched the game. The Conqueror of all Worlds menu came up.

_'Here we go!'_ Lucy logged on as her avatar Sticky Fox, and for level 42, a rather skilled sneak thief. While Sticky Fox was a skilled archer, she was easily killed because of her low defense, forcing Lucy to find a way around fighting.

Lucy managed to grind her way up twenty levels by just stealing quest items from other players and completing them herself.

Sticky Fox roamed thorough the wilderness in search of treasure. Lucy spied a small group standing at the edge of the swamp.

"Well hello there..." Lucy said softly, having Sticky Fox sneak in through the trees behind the group. Once she got closer, she recognized one of the avatars.

_'Black Death!'_ she cursed mentally. He was a good 28 levels higher than her and could easily kill Sticky Fox by sneezing. She was about to leave for smaller game when she picked up part of the conversation.

"Come on already! We have the quest items!" The knight said impatiently. The wizard shook his head.

"Just give him a moment to check the map; we've got to make sure we're headed the right direction." Lucy eavesdropped with interest, her eyes flicking from Sticky Fox to the group.

_'I might as well go for it while they're busy arguing.'_ Lucy guided Sticky Fox to the edge of the trees. Black Death had his back to her avatar but she decided to not take any chances.

_'Now you see me...' _Lucy opened her inventory and swiftly equipped her robe.

_'Now you don't.'_ As soon as the robe had been equipped, Sticky Fox disappeared from sight. While Lucy couldn't see where her character was when she had the robe on, she still had the screen to go off of as the character was always centered.

Lucy had Sticky Fox close in on Black Death who was too busy trying to dispel the argument to notice. Lucy peeked into Black Death's inventory, quickly grabbing the two quest items and hauling off before anyone caught her.

_'Easy enough.' _She hid her avatar in a nearby tree so she could listen in on the rest of the conversation.

"Okay guys, we're wasting daylight here, let me check one more thing and we'll go." There was a pause as Black Death checked his inventory.

"Umm... guys. The quest items are not here."

"What?" There was a lot of frantic searching and frustration which broke out into another argument. Lucy felt kind of cocky and moved her avatar out of the tree to watch.

"Guys... I think someone stole it," Black Death turned to the other avatars. Lucy swallowed hard, realizing it was time for her to go.

"By boys! Thanks for your stuff!" Lucy called into the headset.

"Who is this? Where are you hiding?" Lucy giggled a little to herself before logging off.

_'Can't kill what you can't catch,'_ she thought. She knew she played dirty, but she was better at sneaking than fighting.

Lucy checked the clock and sighed.

_'I guess I'll get my homework done early... I do have a date tomorrow.'_

* * *

"Guys? What just happened?" Wyatt called over the headset. They were still looking for whoever had run off with their quest items.

"I don't even know," Dante called, his avatar beating bushes with Skullcracker.

"But maybe if we had spent less time talking and more time kicking butt we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Dante's right this time," Lyle called, making Wyatt sigh.

"Well, we still have other quests to complete; come on guys."

"No man, maybe later... I've got practice tomorrow." Lyle said.

"Yeah, and Barbra's making a big deal about me cleaning my room..." Dante chimed in.

"I can't leave the house for my date tomorrow unless I scrape the spaghetti off my carpet."

"Alright, maybe tomorrow- wait, did you say date?" Wyatt questioned.

"I didn't know you already asked her out?" Dante hesitated.

"Err... yeah... well, gotta go!" Dante quickly logged off and Sir Bickle disappeared.

"What just happened?" Wyatt asked. Lyle sighed over the headset.

"Not really sure. I'll see you tomorrow dude." Lyle logged off, leaving Wyatt alone.

_'Dante asked her out already? Wow... we have people stealing from Black Death, Dante asked a girl out and she said yes... what's this world coming to?'_

* * *

So Lucy's unofficially met Neverfail and Juliet seems to be sabotaging things...

I want to thank you all for reading and would highly enjoy it if you pressed that button down there and reviewed the chapter! That's all for now! :3


	5. Level 5 Intrusion

So I finally managed to finish and get this post up for you all to read! It's decently long and hopefully enjoyable. :3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Level Up or any of it's characters. Some teacher's names have been provided by Adelene Abnormal as they are not mentioned in the show; thanks again for letting me borrow them!**

* * *

Level Five- Intrusion

Lucy woke up early the next morning, thankful she remembered to set her alarm. She yawned and stretched before sitting up in bed, feeling jittery.

_'Today's the big day.'_ Lucy let out a shaky breath then got to her feet. Once she had her glasses on, she quickly set to her morning routine, excitement welling up inside of her.

_'I wonder what Dante's really like?'_ Lucy mused, flinging the contents of her dresser onto her already cluttered floor, trying to find something suitable for school.

_'It's kind of hard to talk to him in public with his friends always around him and Juliet breathing down my neck...'_ She finally settled on her cyan skinny jeans and a dark purple tank top layered over a long, black lacy tank. Lucy rushed to the bathroom, her change of clothes in hand. Her phone vibrated and she backtracked to snatch it up before continuing on her way.

_'I bet that's Jules.'_ Lucy flipped the phone open, placing her clothes on the toilet lid.

-_Hey Luce, I'll be there in twenty. J_-

_'Called it.' _Lucy closed her phone and tossed it onto the counter, shutting and locking the door with her free hand.

She showered and dressed quickly, spending a few extra minutes to carefully blow dry and brush her hair. She would be getting a haircut later that day, but at least her untrimmed mane would look nice for school. A horn sounded outside as she was pulling on her shoes.

Lucy bounded down the stairs and out the front door slowing slightly to wish her bewildered dad a great day before skipping out the door to Juliet's blue Beetle.

"Well, someone's in a good mood," Juliet remarked, noticing Lucy's carefully groomed hair and coordinated outfit. Lucy shrugged, feeling embarrassed.

"I didn't stay up until one last night _and_ I set my alarm," Lucy said smartly. Juliet rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I'm sure a good night's sleep is the only reason you joyously skipped out of the house this morning."

They chattered aimlessly until they reached the high school where Lucy's cheerful mood was commandeered by nervousness.

"What if he ditches?" Lucy blurted out. Juliet pulled the parking break and killed the engine, quirking a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at her friend. A sudden feeling of guilt crept up her throat and she did her best to ignore it.

"He won't ditch Lucy, _he_ asked _you_ on the date." Juliet hoped she was right; the notes she gave to Angie and Wyatt may have been enough to change Dante's mind. Lucy seemed convinced and nodded slowly in agreement, stepping out of the car and shutting the door so Juliet could lock the vehicle.

"That's true; I guess I'm just freaked he asked me out at all. It's hard to believe I'm going on a date at all," she laughed, leading Juliet to their science class. Juliet clenched her jaw at the thought of Lucy's date.

_'Hopefully my plan will work and she'll come to her senses.'_

* * *

"Yo, Wyatt!" Dante called, rolling slowly to a stop at the edge of the blacktop. He scooped up his board and strolled over to his friend. Wyatt looked up from his book, then did a double take, noting the change in Dante's attire.

Much to anyone's surprise, Dante changed his usual weekly outfit for fresh clothes; today he wore red skinny jeans and a black skate tee. His handkerchief was crammed in the front pocket of his jeans as always.

"Wow Dante, did you... shower this morning?" Wyatt asked. Dante shrugged, unclasping his helmet. His hair looked like it had been trimmed and was far less greasy than usual.

"Yeah... Barbara's doing..." Dante sighed dramatically.

"She said I couldn't go out tonight if I didn't shower and change. She broke my streak too..."

"Wow, she's more serious about this date than Angie," Wyatt chuckled, stowing his book away in his bag. Dante was busy strapping his skateboard to his backpack. He looked up in confusion.

"What now?" Dante asked. Wyatt hastily got to his feet. Angie had given him specific instructions not to tell Dante about the notes on Lucy until after school for fear of him blabbing to his date and blowing their cover.

"Nothing, I was just saying how we should get to class," he fibbed. Dante grinned.

"Alright then, to science!" Dante shouted. He jumped up and barrel-rolled over the table before charging inside, Wyatt following with his head down in embarrassment.

* * *

It was towards the end of science as Lucy shifted in her seat uncomfortably, eager for the class, no, the day to be over with. Dante and herself had been exchanging awkward glances all class period to the point where even Mr. Patrick took notice.

"Eyes up front Lucy, Dante," looking from one student to the other with an expression of subtle amusement on his face. Several snickers echoed through the classroom.

Lucy felt her cheeks heat up and she immediately buried herself in her notes. Dante seemed unfazed and instead took to making rude faces at Mr. Patrick when his back was turned.

Juliet glared into her textbook, a mixture of anger and guilt boiling inside her.

_'Completely ridiculous... and she called _me_ silly for liking Lyle._' The bell rang much to everyone's relief and the classroom emptied into the halls.

* * *

Later that day, Dante and Lyle had just met up and were heading to their art class. Lyle was laughing at a joke Dante just told.

"That's a good one," Lyle chuckled, fist bumping Dante. He cleared is throat, getting serious.

"Today's your date with that girl, right? So how are you holding up?" Dante looked thoughtful for a moment then gave a half-hearted shrug.

"Well I am a little nervous; never really went on a date before. Never had a girl even _accept_ a date when I offered," Dante chuckled weakly, his gaze dropping to his dirty black skate shoes. All these new feelings were cropping up that he didn't know how to process. There hadn't been a girl who liked him since grade school, at least that he knew of.

Lyle felt his distress. He raised his arm and pat Dante on the back, giving his friend an encouraging smile.

"Don't sweat it man. You just got to take it easy, take your time and get to know her." Dante raised his brown eyes to meet Lyle's, a small grin on his face. He felt a little better.

_'Maybe I'm making too big of a deal out of all this. I've just got to chill,'_ Dante thought, looking more like his old self.

"Yeah, you're right; nothing to worry about." Lyle nodded in approval, glad to see Dante's mood improving.

"Plus you have Angie to help you get ready; apparently her and Wyatt have some secret weapon to prepare you."

"Ha! This date will be a piece of cake then," Dante said happily. Lyle snorted in response.

"It's a date dude, not a test."

"Whatever man, I can handle it."

* * *

Once school let out, Lucy flew through the halls to her locker, her heart racing.

_'Finally! I can go to the mall and prepare for my date.'_ After she got out of science, the rest of the day seemed to speed by for Lucy.

_'I guess I was just nervous this morning because he was in class with me,'_ she thought, flinging her school supplies into her locker. She then raced out to meet Juliet, who had began having moral conflict with her actions.

_'I wish I had never given those notes to Wyatt and Angie... now Lucy's date is going to be ruined...'_ Juliet sighed heavily, then shook her head.

_'No! Lucy doesn't need to be seen with the likes of him. This will work!'_ She nodded to herself in determination, her mind made up to stick with the plan just as Lucy came running into view. Juliet smiled at her friend and took her seat in the bug.

"Shall we go for a good mall crawl then?" Lucy asked breathlessly, tossing her backpack onto the floorboard and plopping down into the passenger seat.

"I would say so," Juliet giggled, starting the engine and putting the car into reverse.

"Remember our agreement; you can pick your haircut but I get to choose the outfit," Juliet sang. Lucy buckled her seatbelt and leaned back, propping her feet up on the dash.

"I remember; just make it something... stylish." Juliet remained silent, choosing instead to turn on the radio. She gave Lucy a quick smile.

_'And what an outfit it'll be...'_

* * *

It was five thirty and Lucy was starting to have her doubts. The trip to the mall was a nightmare and a half for Lucy and she was glad it was over with.

_'I am _never_ letting Juliet pick my clothes again...'_ she thought, shivering in horror. Her hands found her now trimmed and dyed hair and she felt slightly relieved.

Lucy's hair was now in a short modern style with the back intensely layered and the sides tapering down to shoulder length in the front. Her wildly overgrown bangs were neatly swept back to the edge of her glasses and trimmed to perfectly frame her face.

_'I'm glad I didn't let her style my hair...'_

While Juliet had kept her word about Lucy's hair, she had taken some major liberties with Lucy's attire; Lucy was wearing a light blue and peach colored blouse and a ivory cropped jacket with matching embroidery. Through some miracle, Juliet forced Lucy into a skirt and pale blue flats.

Lucy tugged at the edge of the skirt uncomfortably, and while she had to admit she looked good, the clothes were not suited to her taste. Though she was unaware of Juliet's true intentions to spoil her date, Lucy had her own tricks and had managed to sneak a change of clothes into her shoulder bag.

_'Almost time,'_ she thought, eying the neon clock. Only fifteen minutes until Dante was supposed to arrive. Her stomach slowly wound itself into a knot, worried he wouldn't show. Just outside, Angie and Wyatt were preparing to send Dante in.

"Do I really have to wear this? I look ridiculous!" Dante whined, slapping the now worn notes on Lucy against his leg. Angie glared at him; he had spent the last hour and a half bellyaching over the dress clothes she had picked out of his closet.

"They're far better than what you were going to wear!" she growled, fixing his collar. Dante felt like a clown, his hair was all slicked back and his face was raw from scrubbing. Angie wouldn't let him leave until every speck of dirt was gone from his person.

"Alright, it's time to go in there! Make us proud," Angie said, her eyes flicking to the sheet of notes.

"And no cheat sheet for you!" She snatched the paper out of Dante's hands.

"Now go!" Angie said, shoving him inside.

* * *

The door to the diner opened and Lucy groaned inwardly.

_'Is this really happening...' _she wondered, glancing over at Dante and Angie who was busy straightening Dante's collar again. He looked more uncomfortable than she did.

Angie had somehow crammed him into a pair of slacks and a dress shirt but apparently couldn't find any nice shoes as Dante was still wearing his skate shoes.

_'Why does it feel like this was all planned?'_ Lucy watched Dante finally push Angie away. Her heart skipped a beat when her turned her way, sending her a dazzling metallic smile. Lucy smiled shyly as Dante took the seat across from her.

"Hi again," Dante said, running a hand through his strangely styled hair.

"Hi," Lucy managed, fidgeting with her glasses.

_'At least we can get to know each other now with no interruptions.'_

* * *

Unbeknownst to Lucy, Angie and Wyatt had taken a seat with Juliet on the other side of the diner. The girls watched the pair intently, barely speaking while Wyatt looked over the notes, a weird expression on his face.

_'I hope this date goes well; we put so much into it.'_ Angie thought, her eyes narrowing.

'_He better not screw up.'_ Juliet was spying for entirely different reasons but soon realized if conversation started at the table, she may not be able to keep up her ruse with Dante's friends. She quickly excused herself to the bathroom and instead took up camp at another table.

On the other side of the room, Lucy had mustered up enough courage to start a conversation with Dante, though she wasn't liking the results.

"So, you're saying you have no real interest in skateboarding? Why do you do it then?" Lucy asked doubtfully. She was starting to get really suspicious as Dante's answers didn't sound like they were coming from him.

_'He can't really think I believe he's into sports and studying... I've never really talked to him and I know that's a lie.'_ Her heart sank at the thought. Dante on the other hand was starting crack under the pressure.

_'This isn't working!'_ Dante's eyes flicked over to Angie. She pointed rapidly back to Lucy who was poking at her fries unenthusiastically. He gave Angie a pained expression before returning to Lucy, noticing the depressed look she was giving her food.

_'I need to try something else... Angie's notes are not working.'_ Dante struggled for inspiration, hoping to save the date. His hand leaped to his phone as an idea hit him.

_-This date is a scam; we're being watched so I can't speak out loud but Angie put me up to this. D-_

Dante hit send and waited for Lucy to notice. Lucy felt her side vibrate and pulled her cell from her bag, raising an eyebrow at the name that came up.

_'Dante? What's this about?'_ Dante watched Lucy's face fall as she read and he hastily wrote a longer explanation.

_-Angie got notes from your friend and I've been using them this whole time. D-_

Lucy glared at her phone and texted a reply, jabbing her fingers violently into they keys. Dante flinched a little as his phone vibrated, afraid to read what Lucy sent.

_-What do you get out of this date being fake? L-_

Dante looked up at Lucy's crestfallen face, realizing her could have chosen better words to explain what was happening.

_'Great... I think I just blew it...'_

* * *

That's right! A cliffy! No worries as I've already wrote half the next chapter so you'll see it within the week. XP

Hopefully things will get better for our potential couple...

Please review and let me know what you think! Thank you all for reading!


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